Paris (AFP)

New reports, new measures and highlights: an update on the latest developments in the Covid-19 pandemic around the world.

- Almost a million dead

The novel coronavirus pandemic has killed at least 998,463 worldwide since the WHO office in China reported the onset of the disease at the end of December, according to a report established by AFP from official sources Sunday at 11:00 GMT.

More than 32.9 million cases of infection have been officially diagnosed since the start of the epidemic, of which at least 22.5 million are now considered cured.

The United States is the most affected country in terms of both deaths and cases, with 204,499 deaths.

- France: doctors worried -

France will have to face, "if nothing changes", a "generalized epidemic" for many months, with a health system "unable to respond to all requests", warned the president of the national council of the Order of Physicians .

"The second wave is coming faster than we feared," said Patrick Bouet in an interview with Journal du Dimanche.

Likewise, a group of doctors is calling for the establishment "from this weekend" of "drastic measures" to avoid "a second wave much more difficult to manage for hospitals and intensive care units than the first".

- Australia: restrictions lifted -

Melbourne's nighttime curfew will be lifted from Monday, nearly two months after being imposed in Australia's second city to stem the surge in coronavirus cases.

But residents will be required to stay within a five kilometer radius of their home, otherwise facing a fine of nearly 5,000 Australian dollars (3,000 euros).

- Local containment in Wales -

In the UK, nearly half of Wales will be subject to local lockdown: from 6:00 p.m. Sunday, it will be banned from entering or leaving the cities of Cardiff and Swansea without professional or school reason.

- Brussels: bars closed at 11:00 p.m. -

Bars and cafes in Brussels will have to close their doors at 11:00 p.m. from Monday in the face of the upsurge in Covid-19 cases.

All other businesses selling drinks or food will have to close at 10 p.m. and food consumption will be prohibited in the markets.

- Roland-Garros with restrictions -

The Roland-Garros tournament, delayed by six months due to the pandemic, began on Sunday with a reduced number of 1,000 spectators daily.

Among the restrictions for players, repeated PCR tests, the strict obligation to stay in one of the two hotels reserved for them almost exclusively.

Prohibition to leave under penalty of having their accreditation withdrawn, except to go to the stadium on their match days, to train, or medical imperative.

burs-ang / ber / lb

© 2020 AFP